As I've been working on more n more minis I see more and more people buying and using these intercooler and ONLY after arguing, complaining and then finally listening to me they switch back to oem or an aftermarket one I recommend do they switch..
I guarantee your only loosing power in every way using these intercooler, ive tested , restested and tested again this ebay ic AND EVERY TIME on no matter what build combo I've seen it on its caused such a a drop in boost it negates any lower iats it provides... I guarantee you your stock ic out performs this garbage of an ic design. I won't even get into their end tasks and how crapoy those seal too , good luck using stock boots on it.
its junk because it's core design backs up and restricts air flow and causes 3-5 psi boost drop AND THATS ALOT exp if your only peaking 15psi. Not including the end tabks leaking past the ic boots almost every time too but even once perfectly sealed they suuuuuuuck boost. You need a core design like an alta or grs motorsport OR a defenders of speed which used a copper core actually ( best ic ever made for our cars but super rare )..
the ONLY intercooler that is going to provide you ANY benefits over stock is the defenders of speed ic , gp , alta oversized ( not the dfic) , grs MOTORSPORT ( NOT the standard version) , kavs liquid cooled ( modified stock but kavs are crooks) and then if you don't get or have one of those ic's YOUR ONLY LOOSING POWER . Put back on your stock intercooler or actually pay up for a proven , performing intercooler. Yes , ive PERSONALLY tested atleadt 6x different intercooler now , each with their own designs and type cores.. and I PROMISE you , you will see a big improvement in power getting rid of that pos ebay / airtec intercooler, yes airtec is an overpriced ebay design with a cool diverter attached to it is all , big deal. It SUCKS just as much as the ebay ones do. Theyre identical except for the diverter so don't waste your money on one of those either thinking because their only 400$ your getting a deal , your NOT.
even the front mount intercooler, though in theory a good idea they just loose too much boost because of all the extra piping once again to be effective.
I will post pics of the the ebay ic core design and you'll see it's obvious they're crap. The solid flat THICK walls the air backs up against befor it goes through and then the too densely packed crappy folded over fins only hinder air flow more. The stock incorporates air diverters between each bar and they're fins are correctly spaced and tilted unlock ebay ic. Also the alta ic and grs motorsport incorporate a completely different design core which allow MUCH MUCH better air flow so they can utilize a larger core for better cooling without sacrificing airflow inorder to do so..
befor you say " well ille run it with a higher % pulley then) IT DOESNT MATTER , ITS ROBBING YOUR POWER.ive run them on my personal, almost fully built sprintex 21psi car , oem ported sc and 19% pulley as well as I've seen them on the past 3x minis I worked on and modified for people ,they bought and asked me to install the ebay ic and that's when the discussion started. So I want this to just show people for now on rather than trying to explain.
just compare them your self !
the ebay ic is pictured 1st then the alta and then the grs motorsport.. guys trust me , go back to stock or get one of the ic's below.. even my buddy didn't listen until I MADE him put back his stock ic , then the ebay ic and actually FEEL the difference and look at the data afterwards for proof ( gauges , inpa , torque plus all used to watch parameters ) I don't need a dyno to tell me , I can feel the power loss just swapping on an ebay ic. Don't believe me ? Go do some hard runs with your ebay ic and then put back on the stock ic and do the same runs , it's gonna feel and perform better with the stock after , I promise.. keep an eye on max boost and iats and you'll see EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Im sure theres a few others on here too who will back me up on this here.. ive made it a personal goal to personally, 1st hand , real world driving test the available intercoolers and i wasnt impressed..the worst of worst is the 1st one pictured , it has the good style core but its core is too small AND the ends are too small and will always leak or you gotta wrap them and even then i seem +200'F iat with that ic lololo